Baby-walker.



No. 676,634. Pa tented lune I8, l90l.

'r. SLOAN.

BABY WALKER.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SLOAN, OF CARLETON PLACE, CANADA.

BABY-WALKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 676,634, dated June 18, 1901. Application filed March 16, 1901. Serial No. 51,527. (No model?) To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SLOAN, a subject of the King of Great Britian, residing at Carleton Place, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baby-WValkers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in what might be termed nursery furniture, and more particularly to baby walkers; and the objects and nature of myinvention will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following description of the construction shown in the accompanying drawings as an example of a device, among others, within the spirit and scope of my invention.

My invention consists in certain novel features in construction, in combinations of elements, and in arrangements of details, as more fully and particularly pointed out and specified hereinafter. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combined chair and walker, parts being broken away to illustrate hidden details. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the device, some parts being broken away to illustrate details. Fig. 3 is a detail section through a leg and the hoop or band, showing the means employed for joining the same. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating the adjustable and loose connection between the body-band and upper ends of the legs, the protecting hood being broken away. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the man ner of removably mounting the tray or table on the flexible body-band.

In the drawings, a represents the upright downwardly-diverging supporting-legs, usually separated widely at their lower portions and at their lower ends provided with any suitable wheels, preferably small caster-wheels. The upper ends of these legs are flexibly connected by the flexible body-band b, as hereinafter set forth. Near their lower ends the legs are connected by the encircling hoop or band 0. This hoop is preferably circular and formed of flat (preferably somewhat flexible or spring) sheet metal of sufficient strength and stifiness for the purposes intended. This flat band or hoop crosses the outer edges of the legs. Each leg is so joined to the hoop as to permit in-and-out or radial yielding movement of the upper portion of the leg. This play or movement of the upper ends of the legs can be attained by reason of the elasticity of the flat spring-metal hoop c,even though the legs be rigidly secured thereto, or this flexibility in the structure can be permitted by a somewhat loose coupling or joint between each leg and the connecting-hoop. For instance, I show each leg joined to the hoop by a rigid headless pin 01, fixed to the leg and projecting through an opening in the lower portion of the hoop, so that on moving the leg inwardly the pin will leave the hoop, and a headed bolt 6, passing loosely through the leg, with a securing-nut e on its inner end. The upper edge of the hoop is notched to receive the bolt with its head engaging the outer side of the hoop to prevent'accidental displacement or separation of the parts. This joint permits the yielding movement or flexibility of the structure, and yet permits quick and easy knocking down or separation of the legs from the hoop and also setting up of the structure.

The body-band b is comparatively wide and is soft and flexible and easy and comfortable to the child. It is usually composed of flexible padded leather or the like, although my invention is not so limited. The band is separable between the upper ends of two of the legs, so that the child can be placed in the band and be encircled beneath the arms thereby. The ends of the band are provided with suitable fastening devices-such, for instance, as straps and buckles b,as shown. The flexibility of the structure permits spreading or separation of the upper ends of the legs when the band is opened to receive the child and also permits the device to receive children varying v greatly in size or girth. When the band is socured around the child, the upper ends of the legs are drawn toward each other. The band is located between the upper ends of the legs and preferably projects a distance above the same and is adj ustably and loosely joined to v the legs in any suitable manner to permit limited vertical movement of the band independently of the legs and to permit adjustment of the parts to receive children diifering in height. In the example illustrated of means employed for this purpose the upper end of each leg is provided with an upwardlyprojecting metal plate f, longitudinally slotted and fitted longitudinally in a suitable seat in the leg. The plate is secured to the leg and rendered longitudinally adjustable thereof by means of a bolt f, passed through the leg and the slot of the plate and provided with a nut f", clamping the plate to the leg. The upper end of each platefabove the leg end is deflected inwardly and formed with a T-shaped head or end f arranged transversely. The neck of said head f passes loosely through the longitudinal slot of lougitudinally-slotted plate g, secured vertically on the exterior of the body-band by rivets or other suitable means passed through the inwardly deflected ends of said plate 9. The body of each plate g between said securing ends is hence elevated from the face of the body-band, and the longitudinal slot of said plate is closed at the ends, and the upper end of each leg is confined to the bodyband by the head f located between the plate g and face of the body-band. It will thus be noted that the body-band has a free or independent vertical movement equal to the length of the slots in plates g, which slide up and down on the heads f with the bodyband. The distance between the body-band and the floor can be varied by adjusting the platesflongitudinally of the legs.

it represents hoods or caps secured to the exterior of the body-band and open at their lower ends and inclosing loosely the upper ends of the legs and the joints between the legs and body-band. These hoods prevent clothing catching in said joints and also prevent injury to the fingers or hands of the child.

As thus far described the device constitutes a most efficient and safe baby-walker which affords the necessary amount of flexibility and wherein a minimum number of simple parts are employed, and the hoop is so located as to prevent the Walker catching on furniture or other articles or being easily overturned. The child cannot raise the entire device and overturn the same by lifting himself with his toes on the floor, for when so raising himself on his toes the body-band will move up without lifting the legs.

The device can be easily set up or knocked down for packing by simply loosening the bolts between the legs and hoop, so that the legs can be moved inwardly and release the pins from the hoop. Each leg can then be released from the body-band by swinging the leg laterally until the T- head can slip from the slotted plate of the body-band.

The baby-Walker can be converted into a nursery-chair and also a pusher by providing a removable suspended seat t, which can be formed of padded leather, flat in shape, having suspending means connected to its edges and to the lower edges of the body-band, so that the seat is suspended centrally below the body-band. The seat is removably attached to the body-band by said suspending means, which can be in the form of straps and buckles i. The child sits in this seat with his limbs hanging between the straps and his body held and supported by the bodyband. A suitable foot-restj can be provided, if desired. This foot-rest is removably secured to two of the legs and is also vertically adjustable. For instance, the foot-rest can have depending rigid slotted brackets j, through which bolts pass into the legs, said bolts having nuts to clamp the brackets to the legs. Also a table or. tray 75 can be provided removably mounted on or to the body.- band. The tray is shown with a shank or rigid plate 7.2, depending centrally fromv the inner portion of the tray and adapted to slide down in a clip or socket secured to the front outer surface of the body-band.

When the device is used as a pusher, suitable handles, such as Z, can be attached at the rear thereof. These handles are preferably attached removably to the hoop at the rear of the device, so that the child can be easily placed in or removed from the bodyband. Also other material advantages are attained in strength and ease by which the device can be pushed and manipulated by attaching the handle to the hoop. The handle is preferably attached removably to the hoop by bolts passed through the hoop and lower ends of the handles, and thereby clamping the lower ends of the handles to the hoop when the nuts on the bolts are tightened.

I do not wish to limit all features of my invention to the foot-rest, tray, or handles, nor to the employment of the seat, nor to the employment of each of these elements. Also my invention possesses features of utility as a toy when made in miniature. It is also evident that various changes and modifications might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact structure shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. A baby-walker comprising upright legs, a surrounding hoop connecting the legs, a flexible body-band connecting the upper ends of the legs,a socket secured to the exterior of the body-band, and a removable tray or table having a depending plate rigid therewith and removably entering said socket, substantially as described.

2. A baby-walker comprising upright legs having casters, a flexible body-band, loose connections between the upper ends of the legs and said body-bands, and hoods attached to the'exterior of the body-bands and open at, their lower ends and inclosing said connections and the upper ends of said legs, substantially as described.

3. A baby-walker comprising upright legs, a body-band adapted to be secured around the body of a child, said band located within the circle of and connecting the upper ends of said legs, and means loosely connecting the upper ends of' the legs with said bodyband and permitting limited vertical move ment of the body-band independently of said legs, substantially as described.

4. A baby-walker comprising upright legs, vertically-adjustable plates secured to and projecting from the upper ends of said legs, a flexible body-band provided with means for fastening the same around the body of a child, said band extending above and arranged between said plates and the upper ends of said legs, means loosely coupling said plates to said body-band, and a hoop connecting the lower portions of the legs, substantially as described.

5. In a baby-walker, the combination of upright connected legs having rolling supports, plates secured to the legs and having end heads, a flexible body-band having vertical slotted plates secured thereto and loosely receiving the heads of said plates, whereby the body-band has a limited vertical playindependently of said plates and legs, substantially as described.

6. A baby-walker comprising legs having casters, a body-band, coupling means detachable and loosely connecting the upper end of each leg to said band and permitting vertical play of the band independently of said legs, a flexible metal hoop arranged at the lower portions of the legs, and coupling devices detachably securing each leg to said hoop, whereby the legs can be separated from the hoop and band, substantially as described.

7. A baby-walker comprising upright legs having casters at their lower ends, a split flexible body-band provided with means for fastening the same around the child, coupling devices loosely connecting each leg to said band, a spring-metal hoop arranged at the outer edges of the lower portions of the legs, and means securing each leg to said hoop, whereby said hoop acts as a guard and permits radial movement of the upper ends of the legs to permit opening of said band and adjustment of the same around children of different sizes, substantially as described.

8. A baby-walker comprising upright legs having casters, a metal hoop secured to the lower portions of the legs, a flexible bodyband loosely secured to the upper ends of the legs and having attaching means, a detachable seat below the band and having supports coupled to said attaching means,whereby the seat is suspended directly from said band, and a propelling-handle detachably coupled directly to said hoop, as and for the purposes described.

9. A baby-walker comprising upright legs having casters, a body-band connecting the upper ends of the legs, a hoop arranged outside of the lower ends of the legs and having a perforation opposite each leg, headless pins fixed to the legs and projecting into said perforations, respectively, and clamping-bolts carried by the legs and having heads lapping over the hoop and detachably clamping each leg to the band, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SLOAN.

Witnesses 5 GEORGE MOORE, EMMA BOBIER. 

